Emergency dump valve



Jly 29, 1930. A. G. BUTLER ET AL 1,771,743

EMERGENCY DUMP VALVE Filed March 8! 1928 1N V EN TOR Patented July 29,1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFI-lcs ARTHUR G. BUTLER, OF HEMPsTnAD, ANDGEORGE A. PAGE, JR., 'or rRnnPoR'r,` NEW YORK, AssIG'NoRs r.ro CURTISSAERorLAm-iaV MOTOR COMPANY, INC., A coRroRA- rrIoN or' NEW YORKEMERGENCY DUMP VALVE Application.v led March ,8,

Our invention relates to emergency gate or dump valves for Huidcontainers'.`

In aircraft, for instance, it is often desirable to empty, or partiallyempty, the fuel tank or tanks, if and when a forced landing a rip panelor an emergency dump valve formed inthe bottom of the tank. By dumpingthe fuel not only Vis themachine very substantially lightened, but inaddition, the fire hazardin every appreciably reduced.

Where, in an emergency, the fuel tank or tanks are shed clear of themachine, or WhereV the fuel tank or tanks are emptied by opening up arip panel, orthe heretofore used emergency dump valve thereof, continuedflight is impossible without re-fueling, without repairing theriped tankor tanks, without installing a new fuel tank, or without closing theemergency dump'valve when and after the machine is at rest. A longtiresome and troublesome delay at the emergency landing field, even ifthe machine is otherwiseundamaged, is the result. This is particularlytrue Where the emergency landing field is an isolated one lackingservice facilities. Ari-object o-f the present invention'is to providean emergency dump valve for fluid containers or fuel tanks in which thepilot or other occupant of the machine can instantaneously 'open up andinstantanenously reclose the dump valve during iiight. Anemergency dumpvalve thus characterized is advantageous in thatthepilot can', as hisbetter judgment dictates, either dump the entire contents o-f the fueltank or tanks or dump only that portion thereof deemed sufiicient to cutdown the weight of the craft to enhance a reasonably safe forcedlanding. He

` can, if the forced landingis on water, and

the `machine he is piloting is a land plane,

1928. Y Serial N. 260,139.

dump the entire contents of the tank or tanks and before landing sealthethen empt tank or tanks by lreclosing the dump va ve or valves tothereby add just so much reserve or eXtra buoyancy to the machine.If'the forced landing occurs at a more or less isolated emergency,landing field, and the inachine is in no way Virreparahly damaged hecan, without service facilities, and when conditions are adjusted forfurther iiight, proceed without delay to the closest flying field, usingfor such iiight the reserve or emergency fuelretained in the fuel tankor tanks by closing the dump valve before the entire contents of thetank or tanks has been emptied. The above and other advantages follow asa result of the installation in aircraft of one or more emergency gateor dump valves `of Vthe character herein set forth. Y

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote like orcorresponding parts,

Fig. view of the invention, and

Fig. 2 isa section onthe line 2 2 of Fig. 1. In. the embodimentof theinvention selected for illustration, `anv aircraft fuel tank orcontainer 10 is shown. On its underside saidtank 10 has formed thereinan opening 11. Over said opening 11 the emergency gate or dump valve 12is fastened in place. The gate or dump valve 12 preferably come prises acover plate or closure 13 and suitable valve operating mechanism 14 bymeans ofhwhichit (the cover plate) is moved into andout of rm bearingcont-act'with a suitable gasket 15 encircling the opening in the tank.Said cover plate is lcentrally depressed as indicated at 16 to provide asubstantially cone-shaped projection which, in the closed position ofthe valve, extends upwardly well into the open mouth of the container.At its base, said cone-shaped projection rounds 1 isa longitudinalvertical sectional of radially in anupward direction toward theperiphery of said cover plate so that the fluidin following thecurvature thereof is discharged therefrom radiallyand slightly upwardly.w

The operating mechanism 14 by means of which the cover plate r13` ismoved into and where' it is pivotally fastened to the outer end of anadjusting link- 21. This link 21k (herein shown as an ordinaryturnbuclle) 'is' pivotally fastened as at 22, atits inner end',

between ears 23 formed onY the container at that side of its openend'directly opposite to the ears 19. By adjustingsaid link 21 theangular position ofthe arm 17 relatively to the open end of thevcontainerv can be varied.

Except kfor such Vadjustment the position of the arm 17 remains fixed atall times.

Y lVithin said arm 17, throughout that portion of its straight lengthextending across and below the level of the cover plate 13, a

g guide slot 24' is formed. Atene end said slot 24 is carried to a pointjust beyond a vertical line passing thru' the exact center ofthe coverplate, whereas at its opposite end it is carried to a point suiiicientlyremoved from said vertical line to admit ofthe complete opening of saidcover plate or valve. Y l/Vitlr in the slot 24 a roller 25 is adapted toWork backand forth in opening and'clos'ing't-he l valve. Said roller 25is carried by an operat- Cub ing lever 26 pivotally fastened at oneendas 1t-'27 Ytoa'lug 28 Yformed on the undersidefof the cover plate 13 ator near the apex of its cone-shaped center portion. The outer oropposite endl of said lever 26 has fastened thereto as at 29a rod 30adapted to be operated from -a point in convenient proximity tothepilots seatV (not shown) By exerting a pull on jsaid rod 30 the'lever 2Gisguided in its movement by the engagement of the roller within theguide slot 24, and, as said lever is pivoted at its inner end to theYcover plate 13, it, (the cover plate) is moved out V of engagementwith'its seat and away from the container in direct proportion as saidlever 26 is moved by the rod 30 toward'the dotted line position thereofindicated in Fie. 1. To re- Y close the valve,'when opened, it is butnecessary to push the rod 30 in a reverse direction or until the roller25 isforcedinto engage ment with the inner end of the guide slot. lnthus positioning the roller 25 it Vis first brought to what may bedesignated a dead center position? i. e.. a position directly beneathandin vertical alignment with the center of the coverplate, in whichposition the cover. plate is forced firmly against itsseat and the valvecompletely closed. TheY slightest movement `of the roller 25 beyond'saiddead center positionV or into. engagement with the inner end of theslot'24f, is instrumental `31 is'bifurcated to straddle the arm 17 and-its sole function is that of a guide by means ofwhich the cover plateis centered beneath its Vseat in' 4a valve closing operation." Also, itshould be noted that thelever '2 6 isldivided Vlongitudinally (seeFig."2)'that the arm 17` is carried' between the divided portionsythereof;' an d that .tlieroller 25 is mounted on trunnions extending,one trunnion thru each divided vportion'. 1

As intimated, -anemergency dump valve thus characterizedv is positive.in operation, can beins'tantaneously openedto dump the fluid contentsofthe container either in whole or in-.part, canbe instantaneously closedto 're-seal the container by merely operating the rod 30 from a pointin. convenient proximity tothe pilots seat,- and hence whilethe machineis-.in flight, rand is so organized and constructcdaslto malte it nextto impossible. to reseat the4 cover plate 13in any manner other thanthat 'admitting of a practical seal. W'hile wehave described ourinvention in detail in its aresent preferred embodiment, it will beobvious to those skilled in the art after understanding our invention,that various vchanges andmodilications may be made therein withoutvdeparting from the spirit or scope thereofiV-l/Ve. aim in` theappendedclaims tofcover all such modifications and changes. p l f I l/ That weclaimis 'z y 415A dump'valve for luidcontainers including a: cover platefor an opening in said container, an arm extending across said open# ingbeneath said cover plate,said arm having formed -therein 'a guide slot,a lever pivoted at one 'endfto said-cover plate aindextending atits'f'opposite end across said arm, a roller carried bysaidrlever andengaging in said guide slot, said roller being movablelengthwise saidslotV to open and close said cover plate,and Imeansfastened to saidlever for controlling'the movement of said roller.

2.` A dump `valve for fluid containers including acov'er plate for anopeningin said container, an armextending across said openingbeneathsaid cover plate,'said arm having 'formed therein a guide slot, alever pivoted lat one end to vsa'idcover plate andfextending at itsopposite end across said arm, a roller carried by'saidlever and engagingin said' guide slot, said'slot` at one end terminating substantiallydirectly beneath the point of attachment of said lever to said'c'o'v'erplate, andmeans' attached to said lever for controllingthe-movement vofsaid roller along said slottoopen and close said coverplate.

- 3. A 'dump' valve for vfluid containers inlio eo t

cluding a cover plate for an opening in said container, an arm extendingacross said opening beneath said cover plate, said arm having formedtherein a guide slot, a lever piv oted at one end to sald cover plateand eX-` tending at its opposite end across said arm, a roller carriedby said lever and engaging in said guide slot, said roller being movablelengthwise said slot to open andclose said cover plate, means carried bysaid arm and fastened to said cover plate for centering said cover plateover said opening in a closing operation, and means attached to saidlever for controlling the movement of said roller.

4. A dump valve for fluid containersincluding a cover plate for anopening in said container, an arm extending across said opening beneathsaid cover plate, said arm having formed therein a guide slot, a leverpivoted at one end to said cover plate and extending at its opposite endacross said arm, a roller carried by said lever and engaging in saidguide slot, said roller being movable lengthwise said slot to open andclose said cover plate, means fastened to said lever for controlling themovement of said roller, and means for adjusting said arm in itsrelation to said container.

In testimony whereof we hereunto atx our signatures.

ARTHUR G. BUTLER. GEORGE A. PAGE, JR.

